One of BDO Australia partner Chris Balalovski’s eternal frustrations when advising clients on estate planning issues is the phrase “to be equally shared among my children”.

“Almost no matter who I’m dealing with, whoever the testator is – the matriarch or patriarch, their overwhelming wish, and perhaps part of the human condition, is that their wealth be shared ‘equally’ among their beneficiaries who are usually their children,” he says. “Although this language looks simple, it’s dangerously vague.”